China Suffers From Demographic Crisis, Questioning About One-child Policy

By BOB Goswami
May 19, 2011

CHINA NEWS - Almost three decades back, China's communist government took a draconian measure to curb its population - the brutal and coercive one-child policy, which inevitably fell into the ditch of aghast criticism among Chinese and outsiders alike, though some murmur acknowledged the grudging law, appreciating the initiative to control its exponential growth.

Queerly, new census figures display a different demographic problem, showing the nation in last couple of years has been suffering from low birth rate. Based on the nationwide census, the latest figures released on April 28, 2011 show a steep decline in overall population growth rate, falling down to 0.57% in 2000-10, half the rate of 1.07% in the previous decade. The total fertility rate has also dropped dramatically from 2.1 to 1.4, which actually stabilizing the population.

The problem accelerates by it aging population, which goes up to 13.3% in above 60 age group compared to 2000 10.3%. In the same period under 14 age group declined from 23% to 17%. This trend not only lowers the population rate but also place greater burdens on youth population who need to support their elder family members. Once China was considered a nation with rising population of working-age adults, but present scenario seems topple the image, ending its great "demographic dividend".

Moreover, China's one-child policy has egged on it gender prejudice. As usual in oriental culture, boys are more preferred gender and causes dire gender imbalance. Like China, In India the matter is a serious concern for the government without coercive population controls. Chinese socio-culture society largely affects on the decision of gender base prejudice, as people ensure that their one permissible child must be a baby boy. The policy was introduced in 1978 adopted by the Chinese government to alleviate social, economic, and environmental problems. But soon it led to female infanticide, sex selective abortions, abandoned or orphaned children and adoption.

The current census highlighted very little improvement is being made to restrain this trend. The sex ratio in China is not healthy where there were reported 118 boys for every 100 girls in 2010. It is estimated that in about 20-25 years, there will not be enough brides for almost a fifth of today’s boys, destabilizing the demographic coordination.

The census results are likely to augment the debate between despot communist government and vocal academic demographers asking for a respite from the one-child policy.

The government however, denies the policy is extraneous. Citing examples, the government says about 400m births were prevented, which helped the nations to grow.

“The momentum of fast growth in our population has been controlled effectively thanks to the family-planning policy.” Ma Jiantang, head of China’s National Bureau of Statistics said.

Bangladesh Fails To Stop Extra-Judicial Killings: Human Rights

By BOB Goswami

BANGLADESH NEWS - The elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has been blamed for series of human right violation, executing extra-judicial killing in the past few years. Human Rights Watch says.

However, Bangladesh's government has strongly dismissed the allegation. The report has unveiled a surprising analysis, saying 200 people have been killed in RAB operations since the new Awami League government leads the nation.

The report also blamed the government for not being proactive against RAB officers or official, who haven't yet received a single punishment award for the killings and gross human rights abuses. However, the government earlier committed that it would see the matter seriously and prosecuted the guilty.

The report also highlighted British forces trained some RAB members, which also confirmed WikiLeaks report. However, British official said it mainly focused on improving interviewing techniques, crime detection methods and investigations.

In its defense, the government says the Rapid Action Battalion acts against criminal activities and death resulted during shoot-outs between law enforcers and criminals.

Manzurul Alam's brother-in-law was shot in 2009, who had no criminal record in police stations.

"Only the RAB personnel told us that he was a criminal. Until now they can't produce any evidence whatsoever... We are still waiting for justice. We are now hopeless," - Manzurul Alam.

Nowadays, RAB officers are ubiquitous in Bangladesh's street dressed in black and fashioned with a bandannas tied around their heads.

Over the years they have developed a ruthless reputation of being reducing crimes and proactive force against Islamist militancy.

Amnesty International Reveals Increasing North Korean Political Prisons

By BOB Goswami
May 04, 2011

NORTH KOREA NEWS - In a recent document released by Amnesty International revealed satellite images of North Korea's political prison camps, expressing concern over the growing in numbers and pathetic conditions in the camps.

In the report the rights group has shed light on the horrible conditions in the camps, detailing the accounts of torture, starvation and mass executions of political inmates.

Amnesty International urged North Korea to close all the camps. Moreover, it also expressed the secretive state to confess about the existence of the clandestine prison camps.

Earlier, North Korea was blamed for mass political prison camps but the N. Korean government denied the allegations. The recent report once again put a strong question mark of the government remarks, though Pyongan still to comment on the reports.

The images shows four of the six camps located in a vast wilderness in the provinces of South Pyongan, South Hamkyung and North Hamkyung.

The comparative analysis of 2001 images and recent findings shows a significant increase in number of camps in the area.

Amnesty's Asia Pacific director Sam Zarifi said that the sites are placed away from the human eyes. He expressed his concern over the political instability in N.Korea, which seemed to be moving towards a new leadership. The growing prison camps are not the biggest worry for International rights groups.

Amnesty recorded the testimony of 15 former inmates and some prison guards and other eyewitnesses. One former prisoner at one camp at Yodok recalled how they were forced to work like slaves and tortured and treated like animals. Whenever anyone tried to escape, they were caught and interrogated for two or three months and then executed mercilessly.

Amnesty in its report also highlighted the inhuman food for prisoners where people survived by eating rats or picking corn kernels out animal waste.

Corruption Cost India $462 Billion As An Illegal Capital Flow

From BOB Goswami

INDIA NEWS - Asia’s one of the most fast developing nations India has coughed up more than $460bn since Independence on illegal capital flow, funneling corrupt riches money to overseas banks widened the gap between rich and poor. According to a new report, illegal money through various sleaze exercises like tax evasion, crime and others have founded strong base of inequalities irrespective of rapid growth of its economy.

US-based group Global Financial Integrity has published its reports, showing the illegitimate outflows of wealth to overseas robustly increased after economic reforms began in 1991. The group based in Washington has also revealed the detail analysis of cross-border flow of illegal money around the world.

The shadowy projection of mounting economy actually masquerades the poor state of governance in India since Independence in 1947. The ironical economical growth of nation in reality disguises the start term of financial cost of tax evasion, corruption, and other illicit financial practices in India.

Findings of Global Financial Integrity:

- India’s $462bn wealth has gone astray in illicit outflows of money between 1948, a year after Independence, and 2008.

- The capital outflow is more than twice of India’s external debt of $230bn.

- The total illegal capital flight out to overseas is equal to 16.6% of its GDP.

- After the economic reforms in 1991, 68% of India's capital loss occurred.

- The main guilty are private organizations and high net-worth individuals.

Indian companies moved money from developed country banks to "offshore financial centers" (OFCs) increased from 36.4% in 1995 to 54.2% in 2009.

Dev Kar, a former International Monetary Fund economist said that the illegal money that consists of India’s underground economy drains out in foreign lands. According to him, India’s underground economy has been believed to sum up 50% of the country’s GDP - $640bn at the end of 2008.

The report is based on a World Bank model to estimate India’s missing wealth. Mr. Kar warned that the figure could be more alarming as it didn’t include other illegal transit such as smuggling and cash transfer outside the financial system.

India has always been a victim of political and bureaucratic corruption since independence. A report published in 2005 revealed that more than 15% of the people in India had first hand experience of bribery or peddling influence to set their jobs in public offices. India was ranked 87th of 178 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index and in 2010 India had earned the name of most corrupt governments in the world.

In addition to politics and bureaucracy, Indian corruption has deep rooted in almost other sectors. The Indian Armed Forces where the most money is invested in every budget have frequently under the scanner of corruption. Many senior officers have been caught for selling defense stores in the black market. The shocking criminal cases against armed forces have tarnished the most respectable institution in the world.

China Blames US For Increasing Military Presence In Asia Pacific

By BOB Goswami

CHINA NEWS - China has accused the United States for its rising military incursion in Asia-Pacific region. In a recently published nation's National Defense white paper, it says the United States is increasing its military presence in Asia-Pacific region to combat with China and as a result the region is becoming more volatile.

The paper has highlighted country's current views on security issues and outlined its defense strength.

In the document, China alleged the United States for strengthening military presence and expressed concern on regional security situation. It says, relevant new powers are increasing their strategic investment and international military competition remains fierce.

The document clearly mentioned US name as a major military presence in the region and alleged to force defense alliances and involved in regional affairs.

China further accused due to spreading rumors about China dictatorial leadership, foreigners are now more suspicious of China. It is reported that China has a bitter relationship with the United States over military matters and substantially strained over the years.

The United States quite livid over the rising military presence of China in Asia-Pacific region, and in a recent visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit actually eased out a bit the tension between two world forces.

The relationship between two countries has become more turbid when US openly announced support for Taiwan, a self-governing island off China's eastern coast that Beijing considers its own.

"The United States continues to sell weapons to Taiwan, severely impeding Sino-US relations," says the white paper.

China clearly mentioned that the two nations should respect each others core interests, and for China that includes Taiwan. China emphasized on working with US albeit based on respect, trust, equality and mutual benefits.

On the other hand, the United States and other neighboring countries have expressed their concern over the rapid increase of Beijing military modernization.

Explaining the increasing military growth, China has assured nothing to feat about. The white paper says, it has a strategy of "attacking only after being attacked".